Children of immigrant parents

Commentary by Melissa Arroyo, photo by: Jacquelyn Martin
Children of immigrants have experiences they know are unique to their situation, no matter their country of origin, ranging from “growing up different” in two cultures to having to explain to their parents how the U.S. college system works.
The experience of growing up with immigrant parents is even the center of focus for comedians such as Hasan Minhaj from “The Daily Show,” who released a standup special on Netflix focusing on his life growing up as a son of immigrants.
“Immigrant parents love secrets…. They love bottling them up and then unleashing them on (their children) 30 years later when it’s no longer relevant,” he joked.
Beyond the stage, plenty of research on immigrant children confirms that their life experiences – and even their outlook on life – differs from those of the general population. In a study by Pew Research, for example, 78 percent of second-generation Hispanics believe that most people can get ahead if they’re willing to work hard, while 58 percent of the general population also believes that.
In my own experience, I found myself doing things that my friends who weren’t children of immigrants didn’t have to do. My immigrant friends, however, could relate to me.
Immigrant children know what it’s like to be the family’s interpreter and translator, to be the family’s source of information for all things new and unknown. They understand how cultural differences get in the way of relationships, communication and one’s overall outlook on life. But perhaps the most stressful experience that all immigrant children share is this one: having to prove to their parents that the sacrifices their parents made for them weren’t done in vain.

Note: Do you have an experience that you find relatable? Tell us on Twitter, using the hashtags #ImmigrantChildrenRelate and #DosMundosNews.